One man’s story of overnight survival in the Alps - Mike Still

A snowHead

Some years ago I met a chap called Mike Still on a ski holiday who told me about how he endured a life-threatening night out on the mountain. He survived only because he had been very slightly better prepared than most of us. Mike later posted me a copy of an article describing the way he got lost and had to build himself a snow hole. It's a really scary tale and made me realise how easy it can be to get into difficulties when the weather turns. As a consequence of meeting Mike, I always carry allsorts of paraphenalia in my backpack- stuff I once would never have dreamed of carrying! My golden rule in deciding whether to carry anything is along the lines of - if I ended up in a ditch with a broken arm late afternoon in a white out, would this item help me to survive?

You can read Mike's tale at the link below on Ali Ross's new web site:

http://www.alirossskiingclinics.com/#/mike-still/4556623219

Below is my personal list of safety type gear that I routinely take on a ski holiday with me. Of course, some are alternatives to each other.

Torch
Condom - makes a great emergency water bottle and snow dissolver!
Snow shovel
Ski avalanche probe
Avalanche transceiver
Walkie talkies
Emergency mirror - reflects sun
Reccos
Pealess whistle
Emergency reflective blanket
Matches/lighter
Windproof emergency matches
Cigarette lighter
Water bottle
Firelighter/Flint and gauze
First aid kit
Emergency light sticks/glow sticks
Candle/nightlight
Waterproof liner/carrier bag
Powder traces for skis

A snowHead

You forgot mobile phone (and spare layers in your pack, and some food) - and you've doubled up on quite a few things. Windproof turboflame lighter to replace all the other fire things. Stainless steel or similar bottle can play the mirror (or phone screen, or watch, at a push). Reccos = pointless. Powder traces = um, lol, but to each their own. Candles and glowsticks aren't really necessary with a torch (although that might be different on a multiday tour). I've never used walkie talkies, but (to me) a mobile phone seems better. What's the waterproof bag for?

Of course, if you stick to the pistes all you need is a mobile and piste map to find the nearest hut.

Good article though. The guy clearly did well in a pretty ****ed up situation, although from here on the safety of my beanbag, starting the route seemed a pretty bad call in those conditions.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

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what's wrong with a whistle with a pea?

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

pam w, freezes up.

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It vastly depends on what you are doing, with who and where. I probably wouldn't carry any of that if I wasn't carrying avi gear.

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clarky999, it's always worth having a second source of fire, the lighter may go wrong so I'd add a plastic tub of lifeboat matches to the turboflame lighter flint and steel is all well and good but lifeboat matches are better Laughing

I'd also add a wire saw, compact enough to coil up and go into a pocket, in an emergency they are great for cutting small branches either for firewood or for shelter, sometimes the snow is not deep enough or stable enough to build a snow hole, having alternate means for shelter is good

After all it is free

D G Orf, I carried a turboflame in a pocket of my bouyancy aid (not a dry pocket) for five years and it still worked - 'til I lost it. I guess you can't be too careful, but they're pretty bomber.

Decent knife too, for sure.

SWEETS. Preferably of the Haribo variety.

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I reckon specifying a whistle without a pea forgoes multiple survival opportunities.

Emergency carbohydrate and protein source if you're really hungry and you've eaten up all your Kendal mintcake.
Escaping from tree wells and other burial scenarios by climbing up the magic peastalk if you haven't got the time to wait for rescue.
Seeding a pea plantation to provide plenty of nourishment for the years ahead if your transceiver, walkie talkie and phone batteries go flat and you're lost a long way off-piste.
With a little adaptation of the aforementioned 'essential condom' and the avi rescue probe into a field catapault, it could also be used as a high velocity projectile for bringing down mountain hares and chamoix.

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moffatross, a pea is also very hand if you need to establish whether the girl you've met at KK's is a princess or not.

snow reports

At least, when your beer goggles wear out.

You know it makes sense.

nozawaonsen, that's a very good application too and since a mattress in the kit becomes prerequisite, we are also assured of a useful avalanche flotation device and a toboggan if, as suggested by clarky999, a princess doesn't come to our rescue.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

a flavoured condom if you like to liven up your water/melted snow?

A snowHead

barry, I like your thinking. Perhaps mint-flavoured so that if we can retrieve our pea after we've fired it with the condom catapault, it can be used a tasty vegetable accompaniment to the mountain hare or chamoix.

A snowHead

I've spent a night in a snow coffin on an exposed plateau in a blizzard where winds reached 117mph. Bloody cold I'm telling you rolling eyes

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Walkies and mobiles are not super helpful when the cold has killed the batteries. They can use your SIM to identify your corpse. Essential items are a Swedish Steel, a wire saw, a load of high fat food (chocolate or if you can stomach it butter), a mirror, iodine/potassium sulfate crystals (to write in the snow), a pan to melt water, and spare socks. Spare socks sounds stupid, but if you can't walk with trench-foot induced frostbite, there is no way you are walking your way out of trouble. And if you can't walk out, you are relying on rescue.

A bright orange bivvy bag isn't a bad investment either, it'll keep you dry and be highly visible (and at a push it is flamable and very smoky when it burns)

A snow shovel is good if you ski (you can quickly build a coffin or a snow hole), but you can use a snowboard to do the same thing. A snow probe is useful if you are a boarder, but if you ski you can cut/rip off the basket from a ski pole and use that to find a deep enough place for a snow-hole.

Ultimately, the thing that you need is knowledge. Get yourself to the tree line as fast as possible (there is heat available when you burn wood and pine trees can be used to make snow holes) and make sure that you are wearing gear that is good for more than spring skiing. Remember the 6 Ps. Proper Preparation Prevents wee wee Poor Performance.

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Oh, and if you want to be really safe get a a mini-flare launcher: http://www.adecmarine.co.uk/product_details.asp?p=%7BAA89B6E5-D01A-48F8-8A09-46A638510498%7D

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Here in Norway they recommend you carry emergency food in your car in case you get stuck out, as well as the usual stuff like a shovel, tow-rope, etc. They recommend a tin of dog food - nutritious but you ain't going to eat it unless you really, really need to Shock

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+1 for "shouldn't even have started".

At least he realised in hindsight it was a mistake. Also, if the lifty really did urge him on to do it, then shame on him.

btw, love the Norwegian dog-food gambit, MontriondSkier, we're going to Trysil in March, maybe we should stock up on the Pedigree Chum...

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One man’s story of overnight survival in the Alps - Mike Still

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